AN ALTERNATIVE TO DRUGS

Summer Church Rallies Offer Food, Music And Games

Hurricane Claudette didn't stop the Good News Church of Victoria from the
second of its summer rallies against drugs and crime, and the group plans
one more before the season is over.

Before Saturday's rally at Will Rogers Park on Louis Street in Victoria,
church members helped clean up debris left by the July 15 hurricane and
mowed the grass. City workers had been unable to mow the park's grass due
to all the extra work that had to be done to clean up after the hurricane.

"God's work can't be stopped," Good News Church member Esther Carrera said.
"We all pitched in and stuck together to have the second rally."

The first rally was on June 28, also at Will Rogers Park. The third is
planned from 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 30 at the same place.

Pastor Ruben Trevino of Good News Church said this is the church members'
way to reach out to the community to help neighborhoods by encouraging the
people in them to join in fun and games instead of violence and drugs.

Members of Good News Church help in any way they can to fund and support
the rallies, by both donating money and time, he said.

Events at the rallies include a pinata, jenny-jumps, balloons, clowns, and
music. Also offered is free food such as hotdogs and snow cones.

In the past years Good News Church has had similar rallies at other parks
throughout the city such as Boulevard Park, Martin Luther King Jr. Park,
and Queen City Park.

Rallies are open to anyone who would like to partake in free food, games,
drinks, and prizes, which are donated by such area businesses as Caprice
Salon, Carmona's Hair Design, Casa Ole, Century 21-Guajardo Realty,
Chick-Fil-A, CiCi's Pizza, Cookie Bouquet, Culligan's, Dick's, Domino's
Pizza, El Torro, First Capital Bank, Floral Arts by Laverne, Furr's Family
Dinning, Golden Coral, Gone Bananas, Hair by Fred, H-E-B Food Store,
Hungry's-Thirsty's, Kettle Inn, Leo's Hair Design, Little Caesar's Pizza,
Lone Tree Barber Shop, Maggie's Meat Market, Mrs. Baird's Bakeries, P.J.'s
Seafood, Pizza Inn, Rainbow Sno, Ray's of Victoria, Ryan's Steak House,
Sam's Club, Siesta Restaurant, Skillet's Restaurant, Subway Sandwiches and
and Victoria Barber Shop.

For more information, contact Pastor Joe Hernandez at 361-573-4448.